It’s hard to imagine a studio would actively avoid working with Keanu Reeves at this point. After releasing some of the greatest action films of the ‘90s (“Speed” and “Point Break”), followed by one of the most influential sci-fi franchises in the early-00s (“The Matrix” Trilogy), and then finally re-inventing himself yet again in one of the best action franchises currently going (“John Wick”), Reeves is an actor that has been one of the most bankable in Hollywood for decades. But there was a time about 20 years ago that one major studio, Fox, wanted nothing to do with the actor. All because he wanted to do Shakespeare.
In a new profile over at GQ, Reeves’ entire career is documented and discussed, from his early acting in the ‘80s to his upcoming third “John Wick” film. But what’s interesting is that seemingly at the height of his fame, Fox had blacklisted the actor because he decided to forgo “Speed 2” in favor of a production of “Hamlet.”
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The profile says that the studio approached Reeves about “Speed 2,” after the runaway success of the first film, but the actor turned it down so that he could take part in a live production of “Hamlet” in Winnipeg. From there, Fox didn’t work with Reeves for another decade, even with the success of “The Matrix.”
He said, “I didn’t work with [Fox] again until ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still.’”
Obviously, in hindsight, maybe Fox should have waited a bit longer for Reeves to come back to the “Speed” franchise, as the sequel, dubbed ‘Cruise Control’ tried to replace him with Jason Patric and failed miserably. As for Reeves, he never skipped a beat, continuing to build his reputation as one of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Now, with “John Wick,” Reeves is 54-years-old and in charge of one of the most anticipated action films of the year. And for fans of his latest franchise, it would appear that the actor has no plans on slowing down anytime soon.
“As far as my legs can take me,” he said. “As far as the audience wants to go.”
“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” hits theaters on May 17.